Crime & Safety
Police: Two Patchogue Men Snagged In NJ Drug Bust
Cops say illegal parking maneuver at rest stop on Palisades Parkway led to drug charges.
Two Patchogue men are under arrest after Palisades Parkway Police nabbed them with four others for allegedly carrying a large supply of drugs.
According to the New Jersey agency, the bust took place Monday at around 3 a.m. when officer Gregory Kimbro Jr. discovered a grey 2007 Honda with New York plates parked illegally in the Sunoco gas station on the southbound side of the Palisades Parkway in Englewood Cliffs.
Police say the vehicle attempted to pull away from the fire zone, but traveled in the wrong direction of traffic. Officer Joseph Villone assisted Kimbro in stopping the vehicle.
When the driver of the vehicle opened the window, Kimbro reported that he smelled marijuana wafting out. Seated in the car were three males, and one female. A fourth male approached the vehicle as he emerged from the store. Police say two of these men were Corey Monath, 26 of Patchogue, and Justin Clark, 23 of Patchogue.
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Police say the occupants consented to a personal and vehicular search, during which they say they discovered MDMA on Monath. No contraband was found on Clark.
Police say cocaine was found on the car's driver, Niel Lipple (28 of Island Park), cocaine and MDMA on passenger Fernando Soto (26 of Central Islip) and three bags of "Molly" on female passenger Stephanie Banks (19 of Holbrook).
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Additionally, a search of the vehicle yielded a "sizable amount" of cocaine and other drug paraphernalia stored in a duffle bag in the trunk, according to police. All five occupants denied the bag was theirs, and consequently all were charged with drug possession.
Monath is charged with possession of MDMA, possession of cocaine, two counts of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession with intent to distribute drug paraphernalia and possession of marijuana under 50 grams. His bail is set at $107,500.
Clark has the same charges as Monath, and has a slightly lower bail set at $90,000. The three other suspects have the same charges and bail amounts ranging from $107,500 up to $120,000.
Police say the suspects were returning from a weekend concert in an unknown upstate New York location when they were arrested.
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